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Description: The 2017 Edelman TRUST BAROMETER reveals that trust is in crisis around the world. The general population’s trust in the institutions of business, government, NGOs, and media declined broadly, a ph...

The 2017 Edelman TRUST BAROMETER reveals that trust is in crisis around the world. The general population’s trust in the institutions of business, government, NGOs, and media declined broadly, a phenomenon not recorded since Edelman began tracking trust in 2001.
For more information, visit http://www.edelman.com/trust2017

2017

Methodology
Online survey in 28 countries
17 years of data
33,000+ respondents total
25-minute survey
All fieldwork was conducted between
October 13th and November 16th, 2016

General Online Population
Six years in 25+ markets
1,150 respondents per country
Ages 18+

Informed Public
Nine years in 20+ markets
500 respondents in U.S. and
China; 200 in all other countries
Represents 13% of total population
Must meet four criteria:
Ages 25-64
College educated
In top 25% of household income
per age group in each country
Report significant media consumption and
engagement in business news and public policy

Contents
02 An Implosion of Trust
04 The State of Trust
06 A Loss of Belief
in the System
08 Where Trust Is Low,
Action Intensifies
10 The Echo
Chamber Effect
12 Business Is on Notice
14 Business: The Last
Retaining Wall

16 With the People

2017 | Edelman Trust Barometer

1

An Implosion of Trust
Richard Edelman | President and CEO

It has been a year of unimaginable
upheaval. The incumbent party or elected
head of state in five of the top 10 global
economies (Brazil, Italy, South Korea,
U.K., U.S.) has been deposed or defeated.
Populist candidates are leading or growing
in strength in upcoming elections in France
and Germany. The U.K. voted to exit the
European Union. There have been violent
terrorist acts in Belgium, France, Germany,
and the U.S., plus the never-ending tragedy
in Syria. Bribery has been exposed at some
of Brazil’s leading companies, with CEOs
sent to jail. An American unicorn health
diagnostics start-up with a sterling board
of directors and huge private financing
was found to have falsified its clinical trials.
The release of the Panama Papers proved
tax evasion on a global scale by business
moguls and superstar athletes alike. The
mainstream media lost audience as its
advertising melted away and it confronted
the specter of fake news.
The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer finds
that two-thirds of the countries we survey
are now “distrusters” (under 50 percent
trust in the mainstream institutions of
business, government, media and NGOs
to do what is right), up from just over half in
2016. This is a profound crisis in trust that
has its origins in the Great Recession of
2008. The aftershocks from the stunning
meltdown of the global economy are still
being felt today, with consequences
yet unknown.
Like the second and third waves of
a tsunami, ongoing globalization and
technological change are now further
weakening people’s trust in global
institutions, which they believe have
failed to protect them from the negative

effects of these forces. The celebrated
benefits of free trade—affordable products
for mass consumption and the raising
of a billion people out of poverty—have
suddenly been supplanted by concerns
about the outsourcing of jobs to lowercost markets. The impact of automation
is being felt, especially in lower-skilled
jobs, as driverless trucks and retail
stores without cashiers become reality.
We have moved beyond the point of
trust being simply a key factor in product
purchase or selection of employment
opportunity; it is now the deciding factor
in whether a society can function. As
trust in institutions erodes, the basic
assumptions of fairness, shared values
and equal opportunity traditionally upheld
by “the system” are no longer taken for
granted. We observe deep disillusion on
both the left and the right, who share
opposition to globalization, innovation,
deregulation, and multinational institutions.
There is growing despair about the future,
a lack of confidence in the possibility of
a better life for one’s family. The 2017
Edelman Trust Barometer finds that only
15 percent of the general population
believe the present system is working,
while 53 percent do not and 32 percent
are uncertain.
The lack of societal and institutional
safeguards provides fertile ground for
populist movements fueled by fear.
Corruption and globalization are the top
two issues for the general population,
with two-thirds of the public concerned
and nearly a third deeply worried about
these economic factors. But there also
is a deep unease about issues related
to personal safety or family life, including

erosion of social values, immigration and
rapid pace of change. Countries that
combine a lack of faith in the system
with deep societal fears, such as France,
Italy, South Africa, the United States, and
Mexico, are electing or moving towards
populist candidates.
These macro trends are causing
destabilizing aftershocks, with important
negative consequences for trust:
First, the trust collapse has moved beyond
a simple “class vs. mass” problem to a
systemic threat. More than three-quarters
of respondents among both informed and
general populations agree that the system
is biased against regular people and
favors the rich and powerful. Although we
have reached unprecedented trust gaps
between the informed public and the mass
population averaging nearly 20 points in
the U.S., U.K. and France (and gaps of 10
or more points in strong economies such
as India and China), the waves of anger are
now lapping at even the top rungs. Close
to half of the “informed public”—adults
25-64 with a college education, in the top
25 percent of income, and consume large
amounts of media—have lost faith in
the system.
Second, there is a lack of belief in
leaders, who damage the stature of their
institutions. We now observe a huge divide
between the modest trust in institutions
of business and government and a
pitifully low level of confidence in their
leaders. Over two-thirds of the general
population do not have confidence that
current leaders can address their country’s
challenges. The credibility of CEOs
fell by 12 points this year to 37 percent

globally; in Japan, it is 18 percent.
Government officials and regulators
are the least credible spokespeople,
at 29 percent credibility. “A person
like yourself” is now as credible as an
academic or technical expert, and far
more credible than a CEO or government
official, implying that the primary axis
of communications is now horizontal
or peer-to-peer, evidence of dispersion
of authority to friends and family.
Third, we’ve registered the demise of
government as an effective force in
leading change. From an exalted position
as savior in the wake of the financial
crisis, government is viewed today as
incompetent, corrupt and divided, the
least trusted global institution at 41
percent. The drop in government trust
began five years ago in developed markets,
with the inability of the European Union to
fashion a compromise on loans to Greece
and Portugal, plus the budget impasse in
Washington, D.C. In developing markets
such as Brazil, Mexico and South Africa,
trust in government collapsed in the past
four years in the wake of scandals; in
Brazil, it slid from 36 percent in 2013 to
24 percent in 2017. Trust in government
is now as much as 43 points below that
of business in developing markets; in
developed markets, it’s 25 points lower.
Fourth, the media, the vaunted Fourth
Estate in global governance, plunged in
trust this year, distrusted in more than
80 percent of the countries we survey,
to a level near government. Media is now
seen to be politicized, unable to meet its
reporting obligations due to economic
pressures, and following social media
rather than creating the agenda. Donald
Trump circumvents mainstream media
with his Twitter account, in this way
seeming more genuine, approachable
and responsive. Technology has allowed
the creation of media echo chambers, so
that a person can reinforce, rather than
debate, viewpoints. In fact, 59 percent
of respondents would believe a search
engine over a human editor. It is a world of

self-reference, as respondents are nearly
four times more likely to ignore information
that supports a position that they do not
believe in.
Business has much to fear in the
present context. Nearly one in two of the
general population agree that free trade
agreements hurt a country’s workers, while
72 percent favor government protection
of jobs and local industries, even if it
means a slower-growth economy. Populistfueled government could implement harsh
regulation of specific industries such as
manufacturing and technology, and a ban
on immigration, even of skilled workers.
There could be industrial policy aimed at
supporting strategic sectors, from tariffs
on imported products to negotiations
aimed at preventing outsourcing of jobs.
It would be the greatest folly for CEOs to
press populist leaders for less regulation—
particularly in the environmental arena.
Fifty-two percent of the general
population say a company’s effort
to protect and improve the environment
is important for building their trust.
We are in treacherous seas, without the
firm moorings of a reliable government
able to set easily understandable
guideposts. We have lost the objectivity
and shared experience of media as
a watchdog on institutions. Nongovernmental organizations are focused
on issues of the most vulnerable but are
ineffective advocates for the dispossessed
middle class. Business needs to play the
role of the solid retaining wall that stops
the uncontrollable storm surge, to fill the
void left by the other three institutions in
global governance.

Business must get out in front and become
an effective advocate on policy, moving
away from lobbying toward direct public
discourse that provides context on trade,
immigration and innovation, outlining both
benefits and disadvantages. Companyowned social media channels should
supplement mainstream media to educate
and to encourage dialogue. Business
should provide citizens with platforms
that invite them to help shape policy—
giving them a positive outlet for their
views and fears.
The growing storm of distrust is powerful
and unpredictable. Trust in institutions
has evaporated to such an extent that
falsehood can be misconstrued as fact,
strength as intelligence, and self-interest
as social compact. This has been a
slow-motion meltdown, an angry delayed
recognition of permanent decline in
economic and social status by those who
have not kept pace with globalization and
dramatic technological change. If faith in
the system continues to fall, rising populist
movements could wreak unimaginable
havoc, with resurgent nationalism and
divisive rhetoric moving to dangerous
policies. The onus is now on business,
the one institution that retains some trust
with those skeptical about the system,
to prove that it is possible to act in the
interest of shareholders and society
alike. Free markets can succeed for all if
business works with the people, not just
sells to them.

Institutions must move beyond their
traditional roles of business as actor
and innovator; governments as referee and
regulator; media as watchdog; and NGOs
as social conscience. The new president
of the United States is inserting himself
directly into business decision-making,
recently strong-arming an automaker to
keep its manufacturing jobs in the country.

2017 | Edelman Trust Barometer

3

The State of Trust
Trust in all four institutions—
business, government, NGOs,
and media—to do what is right
declined broadly in 2017, a
phenomenon not recorded since
Edelman began tracking trust.
Two-thirds of countries now fall
into “distruster” territory, with
trust levels below 50 percent.
Further underscoring the trust
crisis is the lack of credibility of
leadership. Only 37 percent of
the general population now

say CEOs are credible, and 29
percent say the same about
government officials.
In lockstep with the falloff in trust,
2017 also witnessed a continuing,
growing divide between the
informed public and the mass
population, shown at right. What
began as a nine-point gap in 2012
has now grown to a 15-point gap
in trust between those with higher
levels of income and education
(60 percent), and the less trusting
mass population (45 percent).

Media declines the most. Media
is distrusted in 82 percent of
countries. In only five—Singapore,
China, India, Indonesia, and the
Netherlands—is media trust above
50 percent.
Trust in NGOs drops. For the first
time, trust in NGOs has fallen to
nearly the same level as trust in
business. In the GDP 5—the U.S.,
China, Japan, Germany and the
U.K.—trust in NGOs fell below
50 percent.
Trust in government further
evaporates. Government is
now distrusted in 75 percent
of countries.
Business is on the brink of
distrust. In 13 of 28 countries,
business is distrusted.

Trust in Institutions Declines

55
53

Percent trust in the four institutions
of government, business, media,
and NGOs, 2016 vs. 2017

53

52

48

43

42

41

Key
2016

2017

Media Declines the Most

4

-1

-5

-1

-2

Government

Media

Business

NGOs

Trust Index:
Mass Population
Left Behind

Key
Trusters (>59)
Neutral (50-59)
Distrusters (<50)

Average trust in institutions,
Informed Public vs.
Mass Population, 2017

The Mass Population
distrusts institutions
in 20 of 28 countries.

Informed
Public

60 Global

Mass
Population

45

Global

80 India

70

India

79 China

67

Indonesia

78 Indonesia

62

China

77

UAE

59

Singapore

71

Singapore

59

UAE

68 U.S.

52

Netherlands

62 Canada

50

Colombia

62 Netherlands

50

Mexico

61

Italy

47

Brazil

61

Mexico

47

Canada

57

Malaysia

47

Italy

57

Spain

47

Malaysia

56 France

47

U.S.

56 U.K.

45

Argentina

55 Colombia

42

Hong Kong

54 Australia

41

S. Africa

54 Germany

41

Spain

53 Hong Kong

41

Turkey

51

Argentina

40

Australia

51

Brazil

39

Germany

50 S. Korea

38

France

50 Turkey

37

U.K.

49 Japan

36

S. Korea

49 S. Africa

36

Sweden

47 Sweden

35

Ireland

45 Russia

34

Japan

44 Ireland

34

Poland

43 Poland

31

Russia

2017 | Edelman Trust Barometer

5

A Loss of Belief
in the System
Distrust in all four institutions
has resulted in a belief by the
majority that the system is
failing them. This is a sentiment
shared by individuals across the
income and education scale,
including nearly half of those in
three groups: the top quartile of
income, the college-educated,
and the well-informed.

k

Stephanie Lvovich
Global Chair, Public Affairs

More Vuln
era
bl
e
ars
Fe

Los

Media
NGOs
Business
Government

Populist
Action

Economic &
Societal Fears

r
fT

Tr
u

st

so
us

6

in System
lief
e
B
of

85% of respondents
lack full belief in
the system.

It’s a perfect storm. Declining trust in
society’s institutional pillars has fueled
the belief that the system is ‘no longer
working for me.’ In that climate, mild
societal concerns expand into full-blown
fears, which are now spurring the actions,
uprisings, and dramatic transferals of
power we are seeing in key Western
markets. This loss of belief in the system
played a pivotal role in the outcome of
the U.S. election. In a post-election flash
poll of 1,000 people, 67 percent of Trump
voters were found to hold one or more
pronounced societal fears, compared
to 45 percent of Clinton voters.

to

La
c

The 2017 Trust Barometer explored
a series of questions relating to
individuals’ feelings about the
equality of the system, confidence
in its leaders, hope for the future,
and desire for change. The sum
finding was that 53 percent
believe the system is failing them,
32 percent are uncertain, and 15
percent believe it is working today.

In tandem with trust in institutions
and belief in the overall system,
the Trust Barometer also examined
societal concerns around a number
of topical issues. The findings
evidence not only broad concerns,
but pronounced fears. The most
critical issues of concern are
corruption, globalization, eroding
social values, immigration, and the
pace of innovation.

ti

nI

n st

it u ti o n s

Fu r t h e r

E ro

de

s

Fears Further Erode Belief
in the System

Key
System Failing

Percent of respondents
with each fear who also believe
that the system is failing them

2017 | Edelman Trust Barometer

7

Key
Countries with multiple
fears and above-average
belief that the system
is failing
Countries without fears
but an above-average
belief that the system
is failing
Countries that are
uncertain whether
the system is failing
Countries that believe
the system is working
Number of fears
(5-0) represented
by dot size

Where
Trust Is Low,
Action Intensifies
Widespread belief that the system
is broken increases a person’s
vulnerability to fear, ultimately
causing deeper distrust in
institutions. The combination of
distrust in institutions, a lack of
faith in the system, and a climate
marked by pronounced societal
and economic fears ultimately
gives rise to an increase
in populist action.
Over one in two countries no longer
believes the system is working.
Countries that combine low levels
of faith in the system with multiple
societal fears are the very places
where reactive movements against
the elite have found fertile ground.
The map at right shows the intensity
of the combination.

8

As the map highlights, there are 19
countries where the sense that the
system is not working has become
the prevailing sentiment among the
general population. Note that this
sentiment is specific to Western-style
democracies, with the most intense
levels in Western Europe, Latin
America, and the United States.
In less democratic areas of the
world, distrust is being expressed
through the emergence of dissent
and opposing voices.

The Echo
Chamber Effect
Fueling the cycle of anxiety and
distrust is the emergence of a media
echo chamber that elevates search
engines over editors and reinforces
personal beliefs while shutting out
opposing points of view.
Within this climate, for the first
time ever, “a person like yourself”
is now as credible of a source for
information about a company as
a technical or academic expert.
Meanwhile, credibility of CEOs
has dipped to an all-time low of
37 percent—a 12-point decline
in a single year.

In this new world, the hierarchy of
official sources has been upended.
Sixty-four percent of the general
population say they find leaked
information more believable than
press statements. Fifty-five percent
say individuals are more believable
than institutions, and a company’s
social media page is more
believable than advertising.
In tandem, spontaneous speakers
are more believable than those
who are rehearsed, and those
who are blunt and outspoken
are more believable than those
who are diplomatic and polite.
Finally, respondents say they value
personal experiences as much
as, if not slightly more than, data
and statistics when it comes
to believability.

Trust in Online
Sources Rises as
Traditional Media Falls
Percent trust in each source
for general news and information
2012 - 2017:
41% Social media

-3

43% Media institution

-3

43% Owned media

+2

51% Online-only media

+5

57% Traditional media

-5

64% Search engines

+3

10

The emergence of the echo chamber
is directly correlated to the dawn of the
age of technology platforms. Now that
these platforms are the primary way we
discover and consume information, it has
made it easy for billions of people to tune
more deeply into proximate peers, tune
out all others and validate their worldview.
In this environment, where individuals
matter more than institutions, businesses
of all kinds will need to empower their
employees to cultivate communities and
build authentic relationships the same way
that influencers do. Perhaps nowhere is
this more critical than for the press. To
regain trust, it will need to encourage their
journalists to do the same.
Steve Rubel
Chief Content Strategist

6in10
53%
4x
nearly

believe search
engines over
human editors

do not regularly
listen to people
or organizations
with whom they
often disagree

nearly

more likely to ignore
information that
supports a position
they do not believe in

Peers Are Now as
Credible as Experts
Percent who rate
each spokesperson as
extremely/very credible
2016 vs. 2017
49

45
35

Key

29

63

35

48
37

53
43

-6

-10

-12

-5

Government
official

Board of
directors

CEO

NGO
rep

46

-7

52

60

65

67
60

60

48

-4

-3

-5

-7

A person
like you

Academic
expert

Technical
expert

2016
2017

Financial
Employee
industry analyst

2017 | Edelman Trust Barometer

11

Business Is
on Notice
While trust in business remains
higher than that of government
or media, this is not to imply that
business is in the clear. On the
contrary, the 2017 Edelman Trust
Barometer findings paint a picture
of a public hungry for increased
regulation for business and
largely supportive of a number
of anti-business policies.

Perhaps most concerning, however,
is the connection between the
public’s fears and business’ role in
worsening them. Sixty percent of
the general population surveyed
worries about losing their jobs due
to the impacts of globalization and
foreign competition. More than half
say the pace of change in business
and industry is moving too fast.

For instance, 82 percent say the
pharmaceutical industry needs
more regulations. Seventy percent
of the general population believe
policymakers should tax foods that
negatively impact health. Fiftythree percent do not feel financial
market reforms have achieved
their intended effect of increasing
economic stability.

53%

50%

the pace of change
in business and
industry is too fast

globalization is
taking us in the
wrong direction

Business Plays a Role
in Fueling Societal Fears
Global population worries about losing their jobs due to:
60% Lack of training/skills
60% Foreign competitors
58% Immigrants who work for less
55% Jobs moving to cheaper markets
54% Automation
12

“The government should
protect our jobs and local
industries, even if it means
that our economy grows
more slowly.”

69% agree
“We need to prioritize
the interests of our
country over those of
the rest of the world.”

The findings point to both a miss and an
opportunity for business. More than half
of the general population say innovation is
moving too fast. The interpretation is that
while business has done a masterful job
of illustrating the benefits of innovation,
it hasn’t provided enough context to help
people understand the issues—especially
the downsides. Driverless trucks may
mean potentially safer roads, but what is
the plan for driver retraining? As business
works to maintain trust, it needs to speak
to the real fears and uncertainties in the
room, partnering with government to
advance policy solutions, in tandem with
embracing the disruption.
Kathryn Beiser
Global Corporate Chair

2017 | Edelman Trust Barometer

13

Business: The Last
Retaining Wall
Not only are the stakes high
for business, but so are the
expectations that it will act.
Three out of four general
population respondents agree
that a company can take actions
that both increase profits and
improve the economic and social
conditions in the community
where it operates.
Moreover, among those who
are uncertain about whether the
system is working for them, it is
business that they trust the most.
With a higher trust score than
government, business is, in effect,
the last retaining wall, holding back
a rising tide of dissatisfaction.
If business disappoints, it too
will fall victim to the rising tide.
As business seeks to maintain
the license to operate—and in
tandem, its relative position of
trust—it should begin with the

adage, “first do no harm.” Actions
that would do the most damage to
trust in business range from the
most egregious, such as paying off
government officials, to the more
commonplace of moving profits to
other countries to avoid taxes and
paying executives exponentially
more than employees.
In a climate in which the system
is perceived to be failing, the
expectations of business are
far greater, the Trust Barometer
findings show. For instance, the
three most important attributes
for building trust are treating
employees well, offering high
quality products and services,
and listening to customers. For
those who have lost faith in the
system, they matter even more.
This trend applies for all the
attributes that people say build
their trust in a company.
Recognizing that the treatment
and relationship with employees
and customers alike is integral

The importance of engaging with
employees is further supported by
the finding that they are the most
credible spokespeople on every
aspect of a company’s business,
even financial earnings.
No single action is more interconnected
with building trust than “treating employees
well.” And yet what that action entails
today is far more complex than good pay
and benefits. It goes beyond surveying
employees about engagement. Rather, the
best companies are deeply listening and
strategically integrating those insights to
help shape the future of their business.
What’s more, if the majority believes the
system isn’t working, business must infer
that their employees are a subset of this
population—which further underscores the
necessity of listening as a trust-building
and operational imperative.
Ben Boyd
President, Chief Executive Officer,
Edelman Canada and Latin America

Among
the Uncertain,
Business Is the Most
Trusted Institution
System Failing

Uncertain

System Working

NGOs

51

57

52

Business

47

58

58

Media

37

50

47

Government

29

53

62

14

to building trust, business should
adopt an “inside out” approach,
which begins with listening.
Provide context; explain both the
economic and societal benefits of
innovations and other decisions;
engage; and then take action.

Key
Trust (>59)
Neutral (50-59)
Distrust (<50)
Most Trusted

How Businesses
Can Build Trust

Key
Believe system is failing
General Population

Percent who rate each attribute
as important to building
trust in a company

Address
societies needs
in its everyday
business
Programs
with positive impact
on local community
Profits the
company makes
here stay in
the country
Creates many
new jobs

Four trust-builders
focused on societal
change matter to more
than 50 percent of
those who believe the
system is failing

46

53

46
53
46
56
47
55

Protects
and improves
the environment

52

Communicates
frequenty
and honesty

52

60

60

Takes responsible
actions to a
ddress issues

55

Places customers
ahead of profits

55

Transparent
and open
business practices

55

Ethical
business practices

Pays its fair
share of taxes

Listens to
customers

Offers high
quality
products/services

Treats
employees
well

64

65

65
56
65
56
66
58
67
59
68
62

72

2017 | Edelman Trust Barometer

15

With
the People
acting—reflecting the trust-building
attributes of treating employees
well and listening to customers.

As pictured below, the traditional
pyramid of influence and authority
has toppled. Not simply influence,
but now authority too rests in the
hands of the mass population.
This tension points to the need
for a new operating model for
institutions. No longer is it effective
for organizations to operate
autonomously, using a traditional
top-down approach. A flatter,
more participative model is
necessary to generate support
from stakeholders.
At its essence, the model that
we prescribe (at right) moves
beyond “for the people” to “with
the people,” placing people
squarely at the center. The new
model calls for institutions to
consider all stakeholders before

Moreover, in a system that many
view as broken, institutions must
step outside of their traditional—
and siloed—roles. It is the shared
responsibility of government,
business, NGOs, and media to
fulfill the needs—and ease the
fears—of stakeholders at the
center. Each institution must
address societal concerns by
providing reasonable context on
the issues; working to improve the
long-term economic and social
conditions of communities; creating
public forums that educate about,
and advocate for, policies; and
communicating directly.

Shifts in Influence
& Authority
For the People

16

Current Tension

With the People

Toward an Integrated
Operating Model
To climb back from a position of deteriorated trust,
and to ultimately restore belief in a system that too
many people believe has failed them, institutions
must operate as a people-centric, integrated
part of the broader societal fabric.

About Edelman

nt

Edelman is a leading global
communications marketing firm
that partners with many of the
world’s largest and emerging
businesses and organizations,
helping them evolve, promote
and protect their brands and
reputations. Edelman was
awarded the Grand Prix Cannes
Lion for PR in 2014; six Cannes
Lions in 2015; and the Grand
Prix in the Titanium category
in 2016. The firm was named
“2016 Global Agency of the
Year” by the Holmes Report,
and one of Advertising Age’s
“Agencies to Watch” in 2014.
In 2015, Edelman was among
Glassdoor’s “Best Places to
Work” for the fourth time.
Edelman owns specialty firms
Edelman Intelligence (research)
and United Entertainment
Group (entertainment, sports,
experiential), a joint venture
with United Talent Agency.
Visit edelman.com for
more information.
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